Reception of AM signals in the broadcast band is often degraded due to adjacent channel interference (ACI). Much of this interference is a result of the 10 kHz spacing of 20 kHz (±10 kHz) bandwidth analog signals, where nearly half the bandwidth of a first adjacent analog signal overlaps the signal of interest (SOI).
In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) systems are being implemented to provide a smooth evolution from current analog Amplitude Modulation (AM) radio to a fully digital In-Band On-Channel system. IBOC DAB requires no new spectral allocations because each IBOC DAB signal is transmitted within the spectral mask of an existing AM channel allocation. IBOC DAB promotes economy of spectrum while enabling broadcasters to supply digital quality audio to the present base of listeners.
One AM IBOC DAB system, set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,022, presents a method for simultaneously broadcasting analog and digital signals in a standard AM broadcasting channel. Using this approach, an amplitude-modulated radio frequency signal having a first frequency spectrum is broadcast. The amplitude-modulated radio frequency signal includes a first carrier modulated by an analog program signal. Simultaneously, a plurality of digitally modulated carrier signals are broadcast within a bandwidth that encompasses the first frequency spectrum. Each digitally modulated carrier signal is modulated by a portion of a digital program signal. A first group of the digitally modulated carrier signals lies within the first frequency spectrum and is modulated in quadrature with the first carrier signal. Second and third groups of the digitally-modulated carrier signals lie in upper and lower sidebands outside of the first frequency spectrum and are modulated both in-phase and in-quadrature with the first carrier signal. Multiple carriers employ orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to bear the communicated information.
In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) AM digital audio broadcasting can exacerbate the interference problem for conventional AM radio signals by the introduction of the digital sidebands of IBOC signals in the band of the signal of interest.
There is a need for a method and apparatus for demodulating AM radio signals that can improve AM radio receiver performance when receiving signals subject to interference.